> What effect does the stearic acid (if used) have on varroa control *and* 
> has stearic acid been researched alone as a varroa control?

Since you asked me, I'll tell you everything I know -- and a bit more, even. 
<G>

I used stearic acid when I was making candles for a living many years ago. 
It was a fairly solid material and not what one normally thinks of as an 
acid.

I doubt it has any function as a miticide, and if it is used, may be used to 
gel the formic.  Just guessing.

> The subject came up on another beekeeping list ...a beekeeper said he 
> reused miteaway 2 pads by soaking in formic acid. Another beekeepers then 
> said using formic alone would not be the same as the original miteaway 2 
> formula as the original pad contained * formic stearic acid*.

Stearic acid is not AFAIK, particularly volatile, so unless it forms some 
different form in the presence of formic, I would assume it would not 
evaporate much if at all, and would stay in the pad.  I think we have some 
chemists on the list, so hopefully someone will comment.

Various attempts have been made to make formic less liquid and less 
corrosive.  Years back, Betterbee spent quite a bit of money on a small pad 
gel application, but was unable to get the acid to stay gelled. The Buzz 
recently sent around one of Mite-Away's press releases about some upcoming 
product.  Maybe that is related, because AFAIK, the current product contains 
only formic.

Here is the website http://www.miteaway.com/

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